Smuggling bust in Scott City leads to indictment

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By ROXANA HEGEMAN

Associated Press Writer

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- A Mexican national has been indicted on charges of transporting illegal immigrants in a passenger van that traveled via Kansas to destinations across the United States, the U.S. Attorney's office said Thursday.

An eight-count indictment filed at the U.S. District Court in Kansas charges Joni Rivera-Rodriguez with transporting 16 illegal immigrants who were citizens of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

His attorney, Syovata Edari, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Seven of his passengers are charged with illegally re-entering the U.S. after deportation, court documents show.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson said what stands out about this case is not only the number of persons who had been deported, but that most passengers were from Central American countries rather than Mexico.

"Often there are one or two people in a vehicle load of smuggled aliens who have previously been deported, but to have seven of 16 -- all of whom are from Central America -- is very unusual. It's a first for Kansas, as far as I know," Anderson said.

The arrests came last month after Scott City police officer Tate Ricker became suspicious when he spotted several people mulling around a van at a motel in Scott City. Ricker questioned the passengers as to their legal status, and each responded they were not in the country lawfully, according to an affidavit filed in support of the initial charges.

The affidavit from Rick Moore, a special agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, contends one of the men told police the passengers were being driven from Houston to Denver, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

A manifest in the vehicle listed each passenger, destination, telephone number and what appears to be the price for the trip.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Bostwick denied after a detention hearing on Wednesday a request from Rivera-Rodriguez to be released pending trial, noting in his order that the defendant is believed to be in the country illegally.

The judge wrote that Rivera-Rodriguez has previously given false information to law enforcement authorities concerning his place of birth, including misrepresentations to ICE in 1993 when he was deported to Mexico.

Also charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States were Manuel Velasquez-Trejo, 25, of Honduras; Denis Merino-Pineda, 18, of El Salvador; Angela Perez-Aguilar, 22, of Guatemala; Jemny Choto-Paz, 23, of Honduras; Efrain Garcia-Hernandez, 29, of Honduras; Walter Dominguez-Pineda, 19, of Honduras; and Miriam Gonzalez-Leon, 37, of Guatemala.